Starting next month, users with compatible iPhones will experience the highly anticipated Apple Intelligence features with the iOS 18.1 update—unless they live in the EU or China. Apple has announced that these AI-powered features will not be available in these regions immediately, citing regulatory challenges.
For now, Apple Intelligence will only be available to users in certain regions with supported devices, including the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, as well as the upcoming iPhone 16 lineup. While the AI features will launch with US English support, additional English variants and languages like Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish will roll out in the coming months.
One key issue is the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which demands transparency and regular third-party audits to ensure user privacy. Apple’s tight integration of its AI features with other services has raised concerns, leading to delays. In China, restrictions are even stricter, and devices purchased in mainland China will not support Apple Intelligence, regardless of location.
For EU users, workarounds exist, such as changing the Apple ID region to a supported country. However, this requires a significant overhaul of app purchases and subscriptions.
As Apple navigates these regulatory hurdles, users in the EU and China will have to wait longer to enjoy the features, which include advanced Siri capabilities, photo management, email smart replies, and focus-enhanced notifications.
